Hang gliding is one of the simplest forms of human flight. A hang glider is a non-motorized, foot-launched wing. A hang glider has a frame maintaining the shape of the wing, with the pilot usually flying in a prone position. The hang glider wing is constructed of rip-stop nylon or mylar over an aluminum or carbon frame. Hang gliders are controlled by shifting the pilot’s weight with respect to the glider. Pilots are suspended from a strap connected to the glider’s frame (hence the name “hang” glider). By moving forward and backward and side to side at the end of this strap, the pilot alters the center of gravity of the glider. This then causes the glider to pitch or roll in the direction of the pilot’s motion and thus allows both speed control and turning. With a hang glider, you can fly like a bird, soaring upwards on currents of air. Hang gliders routinely stay aloft for 2 hours or more, can climb to elevations of over 20,000′, and go cross-country for hundreds of miles.
Is hang gliding the same as parasailing or skydiving?
